Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office

25 Kirkpatrick Street, 3^rd Floor, New Brunswick, New Jersey, 08901 (732) 745-3300

*News Release* Date: August 5, 2009

New Brunswick man charged with murder

Middlesex County Prosecutor Bruce J. Kaplan and New Brunswick Police Director Anthony A. Caputo announced the arrest today of a city resident who was charged with fatally beating his 88-year-old neighbor.

Randy M. Collins, (DOB 9/12/75) of 1101 Livingston Ave., Apt. 2, New Brunswick, was charged with murder following the death this morning of Robert Aldrich, who had resided in the same apartment building.

An investigation by Detective Mark Pappas and Detective Kenneth Abode, both members of the New Brunswick Police Department, and Investigator Eleazar Ricardo, of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, determined that Collins attacked Mr. Aldrich in the victim’s apartment.

Police responded to the apartment building after receiving a 911 call at 11:40 p.m. on August 4, 2009, and arrived to find Mr. Aldrich in his home.

He was rushed to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, where he was pronounced dead at 12:49 a.m. today.

An autopsy performed by Dr. Andrew L. Falzone, the Middlesex County medical examiner, determined that Mr. Aldrich died from multiple blunt force injuries to the head and chest.

Collins, who was outside the apartment building when police arrived, also was taken to the hospital and is being held there for psychiatric observation.

Superior Court Judge Bradley Ferencz set bail this morning at $1 million. An initial court appearance for Collins has not been scheduled.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to call Detective Pappas or Detective Abode at (732) 745-5217, or Investigator Ricardo at (732) 745-4239.

As is the case with all criminal defendants, the charge against Collins is merely an accusation and he is presumed innocent until proven guilty.